1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an indicator for a vehicle transmission shift operating device, and a vehicle transmission shift operating device.
2. Background Art
Heretofore, there has been known a vehicle transmission shift operating device constructed as disclosed in JP 2007-307950A. This vehicle transmission shift operating device comprises a gate member (not illustrated) attached to a base 50, and an operating lever 51 adapted to be manually moved in a tilting manner along a step-shaped gate groove formed in the gate member, as illustrated in FIG. 11. The transmission shift operating device is designed to allow a driver to manually move the operating lever 51 in a tilting manner in a front-rear (longitudinal) direction and a right-left (lateral) direction, thereby shifting a non-illustrated transmission.
The transmission shift operating device has a face panel 52 provided with a plurality of translucent indicating sections 52a for indicating respective ranges (P, R, N, D and M ranges). When the operating lever 51 is set at a position corresponding to one of the indicating sections 52a, a corresponding one of a plurality of illuminating lamps disposed on a back side of the face panel 52 is activated to emit light, so that the indicating section 52a is illuminated.
Further, the face panel 52 is formed with an elongate insertion hole 52b having a shape analogous to and generally wider than the gate groove formed in the gate member. Based on the shape of the elongate insertion hole 52b, a driver can ascertain an operation direction and/or an operation position of the operating lever 51.
However, the elongate insertion hole 52b of the face panel 52 has a shape which appears concave with respect to a surface of the face panel 52, and places an important only on functionality, i.e., it is relatively large in width W and depth D. Thus, there is a problem of poor aesthetic appearance.